Understanding your enterprise architect

Over at CIO, they've got a great article for the managers of enterprise architects. Is one new to your company? They suggest following these simple rules:

1. Establish clear goals and expectations before day one.
2. Introduce the EA to the key players at a single meeting, no later than day two.
3. Run blocker for your EA.
4. Don't expect your EA to drive the business.
5. Your EA is not just the über-tech-geek.

Understanding Your Enterprise Architect: A Guide for Managers

If you're a manager of an Enterprise Architect or if your manager could use a little push in the right direction, JP Morgenthal's piece in CIO offers some tips to keep the peace and the productivity flowing.

1. Establish clear goals and expectations before day one.
2. Introduce the EA to the key players at a single meeting, no later than day two.
3. Run blocker for your EA.
4. Don't expect your EA to drive the business.
5. Your EA is not just the über-tech-geek.

For the rest of his article, click here.

CIO: The Case Against Cloud Computing

It seems that everyone's jumping on the bandwagon for cloud computing--but not just yet. CIO has come out with their case against this movement. According to CIO, they see that there are 5 impediments to cloud computing, and they are:

Current enterprise apps can't be migrated conveniently
Risk: Legal, regulatory, and business
Difficulty of managing cloud applications
Lack of SLA
Lack of cost advantage for cloud computing

What do you think? We're very interested to see what CIO has to say in their subsequent posts. We'd love to hear your thoughts.

The Importance of Enterprise Architecture

David Longworth does a great job of discussing the importance of Enterprise Architecture in this latest article in CIO. The major theme is summed up by this quote,

“For EA to move beyond its -early-adopter phase, more architects looking at the bigger picture and less navel gazing and protectionism is the order of the day -- and that will be led by the CIO”

Take a couple of minutes to go over the article. Do you agree that more architects are looking at the bigger picture?

Case Study on EA Frameworks

I came across this great case study on CIOIndex.com that discusses the selection of enterprise architecture framework and how to implement processes. You have to be a member on CIOIndex in order to view the case study, so make sure to take the time and register for the site if you haven’t already. I’m sure you’ll find the insights discussed in the case study valuable.

Models and Leadership in Enterprise Architecture

What matters most in enterprise architecture? Is it the business model, or the people who lead the organization? Chris Potts reviews this question in his latest post on CIO. One of the points Chris brings up relates to the Economist’s article "No Size Fits All", which explores whether the business model or the people managing it were responsible for the credit crunch.

According to Chris, replicating a business model within organizations does not guarantee success or failure. Only people, ex: customers, suppliers, partners, and employees are able to make a model work. Chris states that business instead, should start on the right hand side like the Zachman Framework for EA (Who, When, Why), not the left (What, How, Where).

Is your organization more concerned with its structure than management?

Adopting SOA: More than just getting the software

In a recent article at CIO, Ty Anderson discuses how adopting SOA into the business is like buying a total home gym. Buying it doesn’t get the job done, it’s important to use the purchase continually in order to get the benefits the software can offer.

-- It’s important to audit existing applications. See what the processes are for your current business processes. Know what you’ve got so you can start in the right place.

-- Make the services as simple as possible

-- Work with your SOA tools every day. You’ve got to continually work towards the adoption, day in and day out to find out how the software truly works.

-- Keep working – Now that you’ve got SOA, it’s important to keep it current. Learn what’s new in the software and implement additional tools that are beneficial to your company.

And throughout the whole process, have someone there to keep you going in the right direction. A mentor can help you achieve your goals and keep you working towards the benefits of SOA.

Enterprise and Architecture: Where Does the Balance Lie?

Chris Potts reminds us in his latest post on CIO where the balance lies between the Enterprise and Architecture.

He begins his explanation with a definition of Enterprise which is used in economics – the ‘animal spirits’ of the entrepreneur. This is where he gets his expression “the tiger and the toolbox”. Futher on Chris explains how companies must not be too focused on being too much toolbox as opposed to tiger. What does this mean? Companies too often end up concentrating more on frameworks, models, techniques instead being out there in the corporate jungle influencing and shaping the enterprise.

The real benefit comes when the enterprise drives the architecture and not vice versa.

Human Side of SOA

At CIO, they recently profiled a chapter from the book Executing SOA: A Practical Guide for the Service-Oriented Architect. SOA can result in the collaboration and a change in the system both affects the workers and the management of the system. Changes in the system can mean behavioral changes in employees and management and changes in the roles of all employees, with cooperation of all parties a high priority.

This article defines the following as important for service oriented people in the enterprise. Here’s the list from the book about managers:

• Primarily act as observers instead of directors (who issue top-down orders).
• Monitor the business (adequate tools and systems support this).
• Define rules and processes, such as building a constitution that includes the fundamental laws for the company (golden rule or constitution).
• Recognize talents and temperaments as well as know the skills of the employees to staff roles/pools (act as mentors for personal development—especially matching talents and temperaments, not just acquired skills and experiences, to the tasks).
• Allow satisfying freedom to the employees under the set rules (equivalent to the loosely coupling of services in an SOA).
• Motivate employees by addressing the individual talents and preferred tasks. (This applies especially to people managers who are responsible for dedicated teams, versus business generals who are in charge of the overall corporate directions and are not dealing with daily execution at the bottom.)

Do you agree with all these points? Would you add any?